The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-06
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.

The first street railroad in America was
| completed in New York city in 1859. -
That gout may be produced by starya-
ton has been proved by the case of Mr.
Jacques, the English faster, who devel-
oped gout on the eighteenth day of his
fast. -. - :
During 1866 eleven new asteroids were
detected, increasing the number known
to 264. Of this total, fifty-seven have
been discovered by DR.. ]. Palisa of vi
emma, and forty-six by DR.. Peters, Of
Clinton, N. 7. =
In the records of Christ Protestant
Episcopal Church of Philadelphia is an
entry of the marriage of Mr.. John Codd
and Miss Mary Fish. The ceremony was
performed 1S1 years ago by the Rev.
William Sturgeon, the rector. :
Stingl and Morofski have recently con
frmed the fact that in the Sojs Bean.
there exists ferment of remarkable sac
clarifying power. Two-thirds of the
starch is converted by this ferment into
sugar, and third into dextrine. This
discovery will, without doubt, increase
greatly the Importance of this bean in ag-
riculture. 4
Six miles from Mackinaw, Ill, is abit
of ground eighty feet square that is al
ways so warm that snow melts as soon as
it falls upon it. It is said that when the
earth there is disturbed it flashes like
burning powder, and that a peculiar gas.
comes up from the ground, which. so far
has shattered every vessel in which an eff
fort has been made to confne it. =
A curiosity has been taken byaPierce.
City (Mo.) man from his well. It's 9,
living fish about one and one-half inches.
in length. The external markings are,
those of a catfish, bnt there are no feel;
ers about the mouth. The little creature
is almost colorless, the red blood show
ing the translucent flesh. It does not
seem to have eyes, though it Is hard to
decide whether it has or not. 80.
The wearing of wooden hat led to the
introduction of what is known as the
oval lathe. A Scotchman applied for
work in large factory in England, but;
was denied work. AS he was about;to
retire the owner Of the factory noticed
that the man wore a wooden, oyal-shaped
hat. On being questioned he said that
being too poor to buy hat, he had made
one on turning lathe of his own inven.
ton. An oval lathe was something new,
!! and the manufacturer saw that the man.
was no ordinary mechanic. He gave him
employment, brought the lathe before
the public. paid him large profit, and
finally took him into partnership.
The identity of the mysterious state
prisoner, who in the time of Louis XIV,
was known as "The Man with the Iron
Mask" has never been clearly deter
mined; the most credited supposition,
however, is that the distinguished pris-
oner was q Count Matthioli, minister OF
Charles ILL.,, Duke of Mantua. he was
secretly conveyed, wearing this mask a.
disguise, to the castle of Pignerol'in
1879, where he remained until 1888,
when he was removed to the Isle OF .St.
Marguerite, and in 1893 his place of con.
fnement was again changed to the Bas-
tile. He died at the latter place In 1703.
He was treated with the greatest defer.
ence, but was always closely guarded,
and during all these twenty-four years ha.
was never once. seen without the mask.
Contrary to the idea that would be given
by the name applied to him, the mask
was not an iron one. 1t was black ana
made of velvet, stiffened with whalebona
and fastened behind the head with q
paddock, or by steel springs. 80